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Midtown fire victim critical, but stable

Neighbours describe a woman badly injured in a Saturday midtown blaze as a friendly, quiet mother of two daughters who enjoys gardening.

The 45-year-old resident of 18 Stuart Ave., identified as Alison Middleton by her father, was reported in critical but stable condition at Hamilton General Hospital Sunday.

Jennifer Motyka was among many on that street enjoying a sultry late afternoon outside their homes.

"It was unbelievable," said Motyka, who lives a few doors down. "I was sitting on my neighbour's porch, turn around and I saw a little bit of grey smoke.

"Then we heard the 'bang!' and the window pop.

"All the neighbours ran to try to get into that house," she said. "This is the kind of street where everyone takes care of everybody like that."

Dave Swanwick, who lives across from 18 Stuart, said he was sitting on his verandah and saw "noise and smoke thought the driveway."

"We tried to get into the house, but it was locked."

Swanwick said smoke was especially visible from a bay window.

"We ran to the house and Dave (Swanwick) said, 'She's in there, I know she's in there, we saw her moving around earlier,' " Motyka said. "We all tried the doors and windows ... the flames are coming out the side of the house."

Neighbours immediately called 911 and St. Catharines firefighters and emergency crews were called to the fire at about 4:15 p.m.

Residents said emergency crews arrived in a few minutes, Middleton was quickly removed, and the fire quickly extinguished.

"They were amazing," said Middleton's next door neighbour, Shelley Cawood, echoing other comments. "They all showed up so fast."

A Niagara Regional Police release said the resident was found "suffering obvious trauma as a result of the fire."

Neighbours reported she was taken out on a stretcher.

Little smoke was visible a half-hour after the fire call, but emergency workers continued to pore through the brown-and-cream coloured home.

At the scene, Robert Middleton said his daughter Alison Middleton is the owner of the burned building located between George St. and Lake St.

"Her two daughters were out," Middleton said.

He said he heard she'd been "pretty badly burned," and left to see her at St. Catharines General Hospital. Middleton but was later transferred to Hamilton General in critical condition.

Motyka said Middleton's two daughters are about 11 and 16 years old.

"She did the whole front-yard garden herself, fixed up the house herself," said Motyka, who thought Middleton had lived in the home for at least 11 or 12 years.

"Alison kind of did her own thing," she said. "And from what I could see, she's a very good mother."

Nearby resident Dan Maheu said Middleton "is very quiet, kept to herself, a very nice woman."

"She never caused any trouble."

On Sunday, Swanwick said he'd heard Middleton's immediate family was with her in Hamilton.